Lairage time effect on meat quality in Hereford steers in rangeland conditions

Abstract

This study evaluated lairage time effects on carcass and meat quality traits of Hereford steers. Thirty Hereford steers fed on pasture were assigned to two treatments according to lairage time: 3 h (n = 15) and 12 h (n = 15). Individual temperament was assessed using crush score and flight speed. pH decline, glycogen content, meat color, and shear force were measured. pH was not different between treatments at any time point, showing a normal decline rate. Meat color and shear force did not differ between treatments, but muscle glycogen was lower in treatment with 3 h, not enough to affect quality but suggesting a higher level of stress in 3 h lairage time. Temperament did not have any impact on carcass and meat quality traits. No differences were found in pH, color, and tenderness between treatments, but the lower muscle glycogen concentrations for the shorter lairage suggest a higher risk regarding meat quality.

Effect of Finishing Diet and Lairage Time on Steers Welfare in Uruguay

“…The digestive process has a longer lag phase when animals are pasture-based fed [ 14 , 94 ]. In the present experiment, animals from the long lairage, ruminated during the night, thus, glycogen levels after 15 h could probably have been an important component of glucose availability.…”

“…They probably had the opportunity to rest overnight when the environment of the slaughterhouse was quieter and could also have achieved some control over possible stress-induced energy intake caused by the new environment. In addition, these animals could have restored their muscle reserves from mobilized liver glucose and would have had greater time to restore muscle glycogen from gluconeogenesis during the resting period [ 14 ]. A similar experiment developed in Uruguay, with steers fed on pasture and comparing 3 vs. 12 h in lairage after 1.5 h of transport, did not find differences in pH values between lairage groups, but the glycogen content was lower in the short lairage group.…”

“…Furthermore, the results suggest that this longer resting period would be also more convenient from the carcass quality perspective, with its consequent positive effects on the meat quality. Based on our results, international organizations should consider different realities and, therefore, contextualized scientific information when writing worldwide regulations or recommendations, as suggested by Costa [ 14 ].…”

“…Regarding the effects of lairage time on animal welfare and meat quality, controversial experimental results have been reported, depending on the production systems and the general context of the meat production chain. Several authors sustain that the time in lairage brings about several positive benefits and potentially allows cattle to replenish muscle glycogen concentrations, reduce the dehydration of body tissues and carcass weight loss and to rest and recover from the effects of transport [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Other authors have reported that the lairage environment itself may inhibit the ability of cattle to rest or recover from the effects of feed and water restriction [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

“…Other authors have reported that the lairage environment itself may inhibit the ability of cattle to rest or recover from the effects of feed and water restriction [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. These varying results should be expected, given the multifactorial characters of these traits, leading the different study designs (preloading fasting at the farm, transport distance and transport time and lairage conditions) to produce different outcomes [ 14 ].…”